Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Filters and/or screens are not disclosed in the specification. Hence the claim and the recitations therein have not been treated with regard to the prior art.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, and 14-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 1753987 A (hereinafter Höhne).
Regarding claim 1, Höhne discloses materials transport system comprising: a main transport pipe operable to transport fluid and materials (Fig. 1, F), the main transport pipe comprising an upstream portion (Fig. 1, I) and a downstream portion (Fig. 1, T) and connected to a collection area (Fig. 1, T) ;a loading station in communication with the main transport pipe (Fig. 1, a');a dedicated fluid conduit operable to convey fluid from the main transport pipe to the loading station (Fig. 1 , I), the dedicated fluid conduit comprising a first end in communication with the main transport pipe at a location upstream of the loading station and a second end in communication with the loading station (Fig. 1, I);at least one of a damper and a valve configured to selectively direct fluid from the main transport pipe to the loading station (Fig. 1, W).
Regarding claim 2, Höhne also discloses materials transport system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a damper and a valve is provided at the first end of the dedicated fluid conduit (Fig. 1, W).
Regarding claim 14, Höhne discloses a transport system comprising: a main transport pipe connected to a collection area (Fig. 1, D); a branch transport pipe connected to the main transport pipe and at least one loading station (Fig. 1, II); a tertiary conduit extending between the main transport pipe and the at least one loading station (Fig. 1, II); and a redirector configured to regulate airflow to direct at least one of airflow and material to the tertiary conduit (Fig. 1, II).
Regarding claim 15, Höhne discloses the transport system of claim 14, further wherein the diverter is positioned at a junction of the tertiary conduit and the main transport pipe (Fig. 1, W).
Regarding claim 16, Höhne discloses the transport system of claim 14, further wherein when an airflow bypasses the tertiary conduit, the diverter is positioned to prevent airflow to the tertiary conduit and direct the airflow through the main transport pipe (Fig. 1, III, W).
Regarding claim 17, Höhne discloses the transport system of claim 14, further wherein when the airflow is directed to the tertiary conduit, the diverter is positioned so as to prevent airflow to the main transport pipe and to direct the airflow through the tertiary conduit (Fig. 1, III, W).
Regarding claim 18, Höhne discloses the transport system of claim 14, further wherein the diverter is selected from the group consisting of a valve, an electromechanical diverter, and a mechanical diverter (page 2, lines 15-17).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 3 and 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Höhne in view of https://www.tlv.com/en-us/steam-info/steam-theory/other/bypass-valves (hereinafter TLV)
Regarding claim 3, Höhne discloses the transport system of claim 1, but does not disclose a first damper and a second damper. TLV discloses first damper and a second damper, the first damper (D1) provided at an intersection of the main transport pipe and the dedicated fluid conduit, and the second damper provided in at least one of the dedicated fluid conduit and the loading station (D2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the transport system of Höhne with the dampers of TLV. The motivation would be to provide clean redirection of flow to accommodate the needs of the system.
Regarding claim 6, Höhne discloses a transport system comprising: a main transport pipe (Fig. 1, F) connected to a collection area (Fig. 1, T); a branch transport pipe extending between the main transport pipe and a loading station (Fig. 1, II); a dedicated air conduit extending between the main transport pipe and the at least one loading station (Fig. 1, D); and a redirector system configured to regulate airflow between the dedicated air conduit and the main transport pipe (Fig. 1, II), but does not disclose that the redirector comprising a first damper and a second damper. TLV discloses first damper (D1) and a second damper (D2).
Regarding claim 7, Höhne and TLV disclose the transport system of claim 6. TLV further discloses wherein when the first damper and the second damper are coordinated such that when the first damper is open, the second damper is closed (Frame 1), and wherein when the second damper is open, the first damper is closed (Frame 3).
Regarding claim 8, Höhne and TLV disclose the transport system of claim 6. TLV further discloses wherein at least one of the first damper and the second damper are controlled based on a status of the loading station (Frame 6).
Regarding claim 9, Höhne and TLV disclose the transport system of claim 6. TLV further discloses wherein the first damper is provided in communication with the main transport pipe (MTP and D1) and the second damper is provided in communication with the dedicated air conduit (D2 & DC).
Claims 5, 10-12 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Höhne in view of US 11565892 B2 (hereinafter Pollock).
Regarding claim 5, Höhne discloses the transport system of claim 1, but does not disclose a controller. Pollock discloses controller operable to receive and send information to at least one of the loading station and the at least one of a damper and a valve [0049].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the transport system of Höhne with the controller of Pollock. The motivation would be to increase the fluidity of the process of transporting the objects, as computerized control systems are known to streamline mechanical processes.
Regarding claim 10, Höhne discloses the transport system of claim 6, and discloses multiple dampers (Fig. 1, W), but does not disclose a controller. Pollock discloses a controller in communication with a first damper [0059].
Regarding claim 11, Höhne and Pollock disclose the transport system of claim 10. Pollock further discloses that the control system is capable of automatically opening or closing the first and second dampers based on a user input [0059].
Regarding claim 12, Höhne and Pollock disclose the transport system of claim 10. Pollock further discloses that the control system is capable of automatically opening or closing the first and second dampers based on input from sensing an object being deposited in loading station ([0049] & [0055]).
Regarding claim 19, Höhne discloses the transport system of claim 14, and a redirector (Fig. 1, II) but does not disclose a control system. Pollock discloses a control system, wherein control system is capable of opening and closing the diverter based on input from a user or automatically sensing that an object or material being deposited into the loading station ([0049] & [0055]).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Höhne in view of TLV in further view of US 7326005 B1 (hereinafter Castro).
Höhne and TLV disclose the transport system of claim 6, but they do not disclose the exact components of the controller. Castro discloses control device, wherein the control device comprises a processor; a memory; a communication interface; and a user interface (¶14, 15).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the transport system of Höhne and TLV with the components of Castro. The motivation would be to simplify the user’s interaction with the system.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Höhne in view of Castro.
Höhne disclose the transport system of claim 6, but they do not disclose that the control device comprises a processor; a memory; a communication interface; and a user interface. Castro discloses that the control device comprises a processor; a memory; a communication interface; and a user interface (¶14, 15).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the transport system of Höhne with the components of Castro. The motivation would be to simplify the user’s interaction with the system.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMARI JADAN MEDDLING whose telephone number is (571)272-8178. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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/AMARI J MEDDLING/ Examiner, Art Unit 3651
/GENE O CRAWFORD/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3651
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